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India's first satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle released in Kaziranga National Park
India released its first satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle in Kaziranga National Park on May 15, 2026, as part of a conservation initiative funded by the National Geographic Society. The move, coinciding with Endangered Species Day, aims to study movement and habitat use in the Brahmaputra river basin.
Why It Matters
This marks a significant step in freshwater turtle conservation in Assam and India by enabling tracking of seasonal movements, home range, and nesting/breeding habits to inform active management.
Timeline
5 Events
Species description and habitat
May 15, 2026
Nilssonia gangetica can be distinguished by arrowhead-shaped markings on the top of the head and inhabits large rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in India.
Conservation context: status and Kaziranga landscape
May 15, 2026
The Ganges soft-shell turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List; five of India’s eight reported soft-shell turtle species are known from the Kaziranga landscape.
Project led by Wildlife Institute of India; National Geographic Society funding
May 15, 2026
The satellite-tagging exercise was led by Abhijit Das of the Wildlife Institute of India, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in collaboration with Kaziranga National Park authorities and the Assam Forest Department, funded by the National Geographic Society.
Endangered Species Day observed alongside the release
May 15, 2026
The turtle release coincided with Endangered Species Day.
Release of the satellite-tagged Ganges soft-shell turtle in Kaziranga
May 15, 2026
A healthy adult Ganges soft-shell turtle was captured under veterinary supervision, fitted with a satellite transmitter, and released along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra inside Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.